Clamping means for mirror devices and the like



Dec. I4, 1943. D. E. REED 2,336,805 v CLAMPING MEANS FOR MIRROR DEVICES AND THE LIKE Filed July 6, 1959 \60 INVENToR dfzz'el EFeed ATTORNE Fatented Ecc. 14, i943 andere' CLFl/PIHIG MANS FR, MERRGR DEVECES AND THE LiKE pplication .lilly 6, 1939, Serial No. 283,005

l Claim.

rilhis invention relates to a clamping and supporting device, particularly a clamping and supporting device which because of its novel construction is most advantageously adapted to mount a support for a rnirror or the like on th conventional flange or an automobile door.

Recognizing the need for providing a rearvievv mirror auxiliary to the usual rearviev.r mirror positioned Within an auto-mobile and adapted to give a bettei` View of objects at the side of and close to the automobile, there heretofore have been proposed a number of diierent mountings for supporting an auxiliary mirror to extend laterally from the side of the vehicle. One form of mounting Which has been widely adopted for this purpose involves a means constructed to clamp on some convenient element on the side of the automobile, usually the flange of the autonobile door, and including a U-shaped clarnp having associated therewith an outer jaw, usually cushioned, adapted to engage the outside of the door flange and an inner jaw adapted toengage the inside of the door iiange.

lviountings of this general character and form have proved to be popular, but experience has shown that in many cases there has been a tendency for the clamps to spring or to become distorted when gripping pressure is applied thereto, thus permitting the clamps to Worl; loose and not to hold the mirror relative to the automobile in the firm and secure manner desired.

t is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a mounting for a rearview or the like, which is simple and sturdy construction, which will be susceptible of being most securely and firmly secured to an automobile, as by clamping on a door ange thereof, and which will substantially overcome the abovedescrihed objection to the usual clamp-type mountings now in general use. namely the tendency to vibrate and shift on the door flange.

ln attaining the aforementioned object there is provided as a feature of the present inven `n a mounting of the U-shaped clamp-type in which the effective gripping pressure of the inner javi.T against the door flange is maintained away from the heel of the clamp.

Another and related feature of the present invention is the provision ofy a mounting of the U-shaped clamp-type in which the adverse eiect of any springing or distortion of the clamp when gripping pressure is applied thereto is compencated for and substantially overcome by forming the inner clamping jaw With a clavvlike hook on its 'ree end which not only will firmly grip the inner side of the door flange at a point spacer laterally from the edge of the flange even should the clamp spring or become distorted, but also will cause the outer clamping jaw to be mantained in substantially uniform surface contact With the outer side of the door flange.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a mounting of the aforementioned type which not only may be most securely and firmly clamped in place, but also which most effectively holds the supporting arm for the device mounted thereon, against vibration.

A further object of the present invention is the provision of a clamp-type mounting which may be most easily and economically assembled and produced.

Other features of the invention, therefore, reside in the provision oi means for achieving the aforementioned objects.

Other objects and features Will hereinafter appear.

In the drawing:

Figure l is a View showing a clamping and supporting device embodying the present invention, clamped to the iiange of a vehicle door.

Fig. 2 is a sectional View taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a sectional vieiv taken on the line '3 3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a view looking in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 5, showing a modified form of the present invention.

Fig. 5 is a view partially in section taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. e.

Before describing the present improvements and mode of operation thereof in detaii it should be understood that the invention is not limited to the details of construction and arrangement of parts shown in the accompanying drawing, which are merely illustrative of the present preferred embodiments, since the invention is capable of other embodiments, and the phraseolcgy ein ployed is for the purpose of description and not of limitation. y

Referring more particularly to the drawing and rst to Figs. 1-3, there is shown a clamping and supporting device li embodying the present invention and associated, by Way of illustration, with a flange l2 of a conventional automobile door I3 Which may be positioned in a usual manner on the side of the main body lil the automobile.

As shown, the device includes a U -shaped cianip i5, carrying a supporting member or arm on which a rearview mirror Il may be secured in any part, by a springing or distortion of the U-shapedl clamp when gripping pressure is applied thereto. The clamp, therefore, is not rigidlyvheld ori-.the

door ilange and with the normal vibration caused 3| providing the inner clamping jaw opposed to the outer clamping jaw 25 which is preferably provided with a cushioning member 35 of rubber lor the like adapted to engage the outside of the door ilange I2.

For causing relative movement between the outer and inner clamping jaws 25 and 3| so that the door ange may be securely gripped therebetween, there are provided a pair of screws 36 which pass through holes 38 and 39 in the outer or main section I9 of the base member at oppo- :site sides of the sleeve I 8 and into threaded holes by opening and closing the door, the assembly slides laterally on the door ange,gresultingfin the clamp scraping paint fromV the automobile body I4 when the door is closed, and ultimately resulting in the clamp jamming againsti the-automobile body in such a way that it is knocked Y or falls 01T the door ange.

V'I'he clamping and supporting'device II-provided by the present invention .and which is particularly adapted to be secured to a door flange in such afway that it mayv be most-rigidly attached to and will not work loosein the manner ofdevices of thesame general-characterheretofcre proposed, includes a base-member I1 having-an outwardly extending supporting sleeve Irwhich, if desired, Ymay be cast integral therewith, and from which outwardly extends thev supporting arm I6. A

As shown the base member Il is formed with a main section I9 from ywhich the sleeve I8 extends, and with depending end wallsZil-and 2| and a depending side-wall 22l defining a chamber 23 with an open side 24 in the base member.

Closing the bottom of the=chamber but not the open side 24 is a plate 25 which,` if desired, may be formedintegral with the base member but which preferably, as shown, is formed as-a separate member which is coniined` against outward and lateral shifting movement by being snugly disposed in a shoulderedzrecess-ZB formed in the ends of the depending wallsZIl, 2| and 22. Thisplate r25l constitutes -an outer clamping Jaw.

Of importance, particular attention is directed to the fact that the supporting arm I-extends inwardly'through the sleeve I8 Whichiis interi nelly-tapered and at its outer extremity closely confines and laterally supports the supporting arm I. The inner extremity of the support'- ing arm is rigidly secured to the plate 25. 4This rigid connection between the plate Y25 yand Ithe supporting arm lmay, asshown, be very1 advantageously achieved by forming threads -2.'IL on the inner end'of the supporting arm and4 screwing the latter into an internally threaded opening 28 in theplateZ-E. Solder 29 may be placed in the opening 28 toy close thelatter and most effectively and rigidly secure the supportingvarm therein to the plate 25. With this construction it is seen that the supporting arm is-mosteiec-H tively secured to the clamp l yand isv maintained against vibration relative thereto attwo points, namely at the sleeve I8 andthe platerZE.

Associated with the base. member I'I isfasubstantially U-shaped member 3 3, ,preferably of stainless steel, having inner 'and outer sections orarm 3I and 32'extending laterally from and spaced by a connecting section 33, positioned-to receive theV plate `therebetween with the. outer section or arm 32 being located in the base member chamber 23 and with the inner section or. arm

Vet() 4U #and 4I formed in the outer section of the Ufshaped member 3B. Preferably, and as shown,

-the plate -25 is provided with guide holes 42 to jreoeive vand laterally support the screws 35, and the outer section of the U-shaped member is provided with-a recess 43 to accommodate the supporting arm I6.

Thus when the screws 36 are turned in one `direction theheadsA 44 of the screws are drawn against shoulders l and 46 in the holes 3B and 39 and the inner clamping-jaw is drawn toward the outer clamping jaw.

Of particular importa-nce and in order to insure the-clamp I5 being held in a most rigid manner` on `the door flange the free end of the inner clamping jaw is angularly offset to provide a clawlike hook 4l extending toward the outer clamping jaw.

By means of this hook llthe'gripping pressure of the-inner jaw isrlaterally removed from the heel 48 of the clamp so that the adverse effect caused by any springing or distortion of the clamp I5' when. gripping pressure is applied thereto, is overcome. Even if the clamp should be slightly sprung or'distorted in drawing up the same the projecting clawlikefhooklll still provides effective gripping means'laterally'spaced from the edge ofthe doorflange and adapted to eiectively maintain the outer clamping jaw in substantially uniform and surface contact with the outer side of the door ilange. Tests have shown that a clamp provided with the advantageous clawlike gripping hook above described will be maintained -in rigid association with the door iiange under the most severe operating conditions.

Also preferably, and as shown, to further minimlzer any tendency of the clamp to spring, and to cause the clamp to grip the door ange in a most effective manner the screws 36 are so located that the longitudinal or force applying axis thereof will be located on a line intermediate the heel or supported end 48 of the clamp and the projecting gripping hook 47 which so advantageously bites into and grips the door flange at a-point spaced laterally from the edge thereof.

If desired, and as shown in Figs. 4 5, this same advantageous construction whereby the gripping pressure of the inner clamping jaw is applied at a point spaced laterallyl from the heel of a clamp, may be embodied in a modified form of clamping and supporting device 49.

This modified device 49 includes a base member 50' having a sleeve 5I extending outwardly therefrom and through which a supporting arm 52 for a mirror or thel like extends in longitudinal sliding relation. Unlike the device I I Iirst described, the modiiied vdevice is provided with an inner clamping. jaw,53,which is formed by a section 54 integral withthebasemember, this jaw 53 together Witlrthe main section 55 of the base and AScrews 58 passing thwgh threaded holes 59 in the main section 55 of lle base member engage the outer side of an outer clamping jaw 50 which is secured to the inner end 6l of the supporting arm. When the screws 58 are turned in one direction the reaction of the same against the outer side of the outer jaw 6K1 causes relative movement between the latter and the base member and thereby results in the inner and outer clamping jaws being drawn together.

Of importance and as in the form rst described, the free end of the inner clamping jaw is angularly offset to provide a clawlike hook 62 projecting toward the outer jaw. The same advantageous distribution of gripping pressure achieved in the form of the invention rst described is thus also achieved in this modified form of the invention.

Variations and modifications may be made within the scope of this invention and portions of the improvements may be used without others.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

In a device of the character described, a base member having a chamber with an open inner side; an outer clamping jaw, providing a closure for said inner side; means on said base member for arresting outward and lateral movements of said outer jaw; a sleeve portion extending outwardly from said base member; a supporting arm, secured to said outer jaw and extending outwardly from said base member through said sleeve to be laterally supported thereby; an inner clamping jaw opposed to and cooperable with said outer jaw; and means for drawing said inner jaw toward said outer jaw.

DANIEL E. REED. 

